Cllr James Dornan, the SNP opposition leader on Glasgow Council, has withdrawn as the Party's candidate in the forthcoming Glasgow North East byelection. This followed a story in the Sunday Herald that he had got into financial difficulties and used a "protected deed trust" as an alternative to bankruptcy to keep creditors as bay.

Unlike bankruptcy the "protected deed trust" doesn't bar him from elected office. But there is a suggestion that it should have barred him from being a "partner director" with a charitable organisation set up by the Council.

Most of the meetings councillors attend are not Council meetings but those for outside bodies they are appointed to that the Council gives money to or has some other relationship with. As part of this councillors are frequently trustees of local charities. So it would be useful to have the point clarified. In the recession bankruptcies are increasing as are alternative options such as Individual Voluntary Arrangements.